Need advice on lighting. Any help would be appreciated.

lol. ding ding. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

unohu69 said:

This is the device:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ALRZLW

best price iv seen also.


SoftailPaul, what kind of results are you getting compared to say a straight 600 or 1000 watt bulb. Are the two 600's ( running a lil below 500 watts) giving you good results in your yields?

I want to run the two 600 bulbs off a 1k ballast, over an area about 4'x7' air cooled hoods of course.

This is what i plan on doing wiht my 1k ballast.

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That's how I got started into trying the splitter, I had a 1K HPS ballast not being used so getting two bulb coverage from that ballast made a lot of sense.
My Bloom Room is all 600W HPS on light tracks. Each reflector/track/ballast covers a 3'0" wide X 6'0" long path that has 3-4 plants in the center. The Nursery that has the two 6.4K, 600W MH bulbs. These cover a footprint of 6'6" long X 3'6" wide over 18 plants (3 rows X 6). It's kinda' hard to do an "apples 2 apples" comparison because it is a Veg. vs Flwr. comparison, but in my best experiences and observations, there is robust growth in them (similar to what I have been used to), so one would need to do this side-by-side with a 1,000W MH set-up vs. the 2 @ 600W (+/- 500W ea.) to really approach a legitimate analysis. It does produce what I believe is better coverage. So I guess this doesn't help that much.
Sorry...

well, right now im just gonna run the 1k bulb. eventually ill drop the cash an get another hood, splitter, and the 600w bulbs.

I really cant wait for higher wattage CMH bulbs. wish i could get those in 600w. that would motivate me a little more.

but thanx for your input.

unohu69 said:

well, right now im just gonna run the 1k bulb. eventually ill drop the cash an get another hood, splitter, and the 600w bulbs.

I really cant wait for higher wattage CMH bulbs. wish i could get those in 600w. that would motivate me a little more.

but thanx for your input.

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hey unohu. there was a thread on here that some guy showed a new 1000w CMH bulb that is out. i'm pretty sure it was philips that made it. check around and i'll try and keep an eye out to. it was 870w i think but ran on 1000w ballasts.

that would be sweet, well, the search is on... ill post it here if i find it....



This is what I have found so far, but no information about availability...: Still I wont say any of this is very helpful, And its looks to me that they are designed to run in a vertical positioning.

http://www.growlightexpress.com/ceramic-metal-halide-bulbs-9/philips-energy-advantage-cdm-allstart-lamp-830-watt-1943.html


[url]http://www.fastenal.com/web/products/detail.ex?sku=0763336


http://www.usa.ecat.lighting.philips.com/l/professional-lamps/high-intensity-discharge-lamps/outdoor-ceramic-white-light/energy-advantage-cdm-allstart/928601172801_na/



[/URL]

hey unohu, here is the thread i found that info in. great thread. https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/502572-official-cmh-thread-post-your.html

here is a link to the bulb as well. tons of info on the site. http://www.ecat.lighting.philips.com/l/lamps/high-intensity-discharge-lamps/outdoor-ceramic-white-light/energy-advantage-cdm-allstart/928601172801_na/

check out this spectral chart too. notice the numbers on the left. 1 is equal to 100 on other spectral charts. this bulb is badass. let me know if you find any other info or if you find someone selling the bulb. i'm dying to test it out. good luck man. happy growing.

View attachment 2159806

nuglets said:

hey unohu. there was a thread on here that some guy showed a new 1000w CMH bulb that is out. i'm pretty sure it was philips that made it. check around and i'll try and keep an eye out to. it was 870w i think but ran on 1000w ballasts.

Click to expand...

it is a phillips bulb. i was thinking about running one but gave up cuz u need a magnetic to run them or something right? my magnetic kinda old and i didnt want to risk it dying on me. and i cant run it in my digital.

Looking at the spectral graph it really seems to produce quite a bit in the green segments. I am under the impression green has little use (all tho, maybe a little). I would like to see a tad more blue, but I spoze its better than the average HPS bulb. I personally want to see a horizontal application, with a year or better of satisfactory customer results. Bulb longevity is a concern also, I dont want to buy a 100$ bulb every 6 months. phillips has said that they were trying to increase bulb life, that anything over 400w wasnt worth while at that time. Maybe they finally got something they think is worth releasing to the customer base.

a lot of the bulbs seem to have that spike in the green range. might be a byproduct of production. have you seen the spectral chart for the new hortilux blue daylight mh? badass too.

I havent really looked whats going to be the best overall bulb for me. My 1k ballast is MH/HPS switchable, so I can go either way. Once it comes time to replace my bulb, i will spend between 3 days, and 2 weeks researching the best bulb, and ill find the best price. Then Ill get that one lol...

I was kinda excited about getting a splitter and running two 600's, But now im wondering if there really is a strain put on the ballast components, causing premature failure. Im thinking about actually wiring up a 220 outlet so as to lessen the amp draw. thereby running the ballast a little cooler. I also think a light controller, using a contactor(?) is the best way to power the lights. even if your only running one ballast, I just think its the smart thing to do.

dvs1038 said:

Well 1st when did I ever mention lumens? Not to mention the fact that lumens really don't mean shit when it comes to growing herb, if they did then no one would be using LED lights now would then? Plus when u say u can buy a MH bulb in any spectrum it really proves u don't know what ur talking about, ur telling me u can go out and buy a 6500k MH bulb? Ur the one that should read more. And y don't I give u a lil math problem here, if 26w cfl bulbs say they are approx equal to 90-100w incandescent bulb then what is a 105w equal to? ummm carry the 1 "TIMMY". How many times does 26 go into 105?

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You can, indeed, get MH in several spectrums. Again, Sun Pulse has four: 3.0, 4.0, 6.4 and 10.0 K and in 250, 400, 600, 750 and 1,000 Watts. They also offer 2.8 and 5.7 K in their 1,000 W commercial MH bulbs. Their 250W is not available in the 3.0K, but then again, who would be using this anyway. Does anyone ever use the 200 W CFL (6.4K) that's available? Also, the T-5's can get pretty hot too. I feel that the 8 bulb X 4 ft. unit can be as hot as a 400W MH. That's almost a watt per watt comparison, so I was not surprised. What is the most important factor to consider? Power consumption, heat or the actual benefits and effects a particular set-up gives. I am after quality, always, and will sacrifice something to get a bit better results. I have also experimented with all kinds of combinations. My optimal set-up is for a single (larger) plant using a "Growzilla" reflector (2 bulbs capable) with a 400W HPS and a 400W MH in it. The MH is on 18/6 and the HPS is only on about 5 hours around the 1/2 way point in the MH's on cycle, to mimic the effects of high noon. Seems that my plant likes this too. I know there is a much higher energy cost factor this way, but the vigor I experience is next to none. If money was no object, all my reflectors and lighting would be this way with higher wattage, of course. I am also a firm believer that more light is better, no matter what the cost. My inital set-up was 96 plants (12/light) on 12" centers with 8 @ 600W HPS on light tracks. It was "OK" but crowding was too much and over the course of time, this has been reduced to 32 plants (4/light) @ 18" centers, same lights but these plants start out around 24" tall and transition to approximately 36" tall, and are much more bushy and thus a proportionate greater harvest ensues. Overall, the total yield is not the same because the greater spacing gives more buds and better quality too, due to better penetration...

wheels619 said:

running ur bulbs at less than full wattage lowers ur bulb life. also ur only supposed to use the splitter on magnetic ballasts. it will fry digitals over time. also it kills the life of ur ballasts from having to ignite two bulbs instead of one. people have been having their igniters fail on perfectly good ballasts due to the extra bulb its having to fire during warm up. the splitters are over rated in my opinion unless u have a big grow and need supplemental lighting. and in that case u would go with a chain of like 5 bulbs that are400 watt in a 2000 watt ballast. or 4 150 watt bulbs in a 600 ballast. for the smaller guy.

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I could be wrong but I thought that reduced wattage did lengthen bulb life. Similar to the effect that a 130 volt bulb has. The bulb is rated for 130 volts but runs on 110-120 volts thus saving on the wear and tear from the undercurrent. If I am wrong in this, I apologize. I certainly don't mean to be stating the wrong information.

wheels619 said:

it is a phillips bulb. i was thinking about running one but gave up cuz u need a magnetic to run them or something right? my magnetic kinda old and i didnt want to risk it dying on me. and i cant run it in my digital.

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Bring new life to your (old) magnetic ballast; replace the Capacitor with a new one. The transformr really doesn't wear, its the Cap. that does. We all should replace the Cap's. every 2 years anyway...

unohu69 said:

I havent really looked whats going to be the best overall bulb for me. My 1k ballast is MH/HPS switchable, so I can go either way. Once it comes time to replace my bulb, i will spend between 3 days, and 2 weeks researching the best bulb, and ill find the best price. Then Ill get that one lol...

I was kinda excited about getting a splitter and running two 600's, But now im wondering if there really is a strain put on the ballast components, causing premature failure. Im thinking about actually wiring up a 220 outlet so as to lessen the amp draw. thereby running the ballast a little cooler. I also think a light controller, using a contactor(?) is the best way to power the lights. even if your only running one ballast, I just think its the smart thing to do.

Click to expand...

I have used the splitter set-up for over a year and a half and see no strain as a result. All my lighting is run on 240V with contactors, except this single ballast. I don't see the advantage of using a contactor for a single ballast because a 240V timer is cheaper than a contactor (also need a protective housing). I build my own contactors because 1) they are cheaper to build myself by many times over and 2) the availability of different load ratings is very flexible and easy to find. Amazon usually has quite a selection with the trigger ratings from 12V all the way to the 240V in case one has a variety of sources. Besides there is a sense of accomplishment when one builds their own equipment. I have even built my own atmospheric controllers but when you get to this level it is doubtful that the cost is lower due to the excessive sourcing you need to find all the components.

right on, I may end up trying a splitter at some point. worse case, i dont like it, and then ill have a second hood, just begging for a ballast lol.
i will probably just be running of a 30 amp circuit. I do really like the idea of a timer controlled light controller tho, and I may end up building one myself.

There are definite benefits of building something for yourself, however I get caught up in shit to easily, so now, if i know I can do it, but its not really worth the hassle, ill sub it out....

sfttailpaul said:

I could be wrong but I thought that reduced wattage did lengthen bulb life. Similar to the effect that a 130 volt bulb has. The bulb is rated for 130 volts but runs on 110-120 volts thus saving on the wear and tear from the undercurrent. If I am wrong in this, I apologize. I certainly don't mean to be stating the wrong information.

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no ur good man. i was looking at internet postings and reviews about the splitters. the reviews were saying that they had bulbs completely fail. and since its on a splitter had a 1000 watts go completely to one bulb. what happens if u have 2 bulbs split up on one line and one bulb fails? was reading on bulbs just dying off. people having to replace both bulbs just becuz one failed. also read about the 2nd bulb exploding from time to time. lol. ive never actually used them. ive read too many negative reviews on them to even risk it. i was going to run them in a 6x4 box but after heavy reading and studying up on them decided against it. im just not willing to be a Guinea pig i think. i think if ur gonna run dual 600s u should just get a dual 600 ballast instead. or a decent lighting controller.

wheels619 said:

no ur good man. i was looking at internet postings and reviews about the splitters. the reviews were saying that they had bulbs completely fail. and since its on a splitter had a 1000 watts go completely to one bulb. what happens if u have 2 bulbs split up on one line and one bulb fails? was reading on bulbs just dying off. people having to replace both bulbs just becuz one failed. also read about the 2nd bulb exploding from time to time. lol. ive never actually used them. ive read too many negative reviews on them to even risk it. i was going to run them in a 6x4 box but after heavy reading and studying up on them decided against it. im just not willing to be a Guinea pig i think. i think if ur gonna run dual 600s u should just get a dual 600 ballast instead. or a decent lighting controller.

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not to mention hid bulbs contain mercury. who wants that blown all over your your girls when the bulb explodes? inmho splitting bulbs makes no sense. peace out